


Free Minds

by Corvus_Albus



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Are the Separatists really the bad guys?, CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555 Lives, Canon Divergence - Order 66, Civilian Casualties, Crew as Family, F/M, Gen, Is the Republic good?, Order 66, Original Character(s), Ragtag Crew, War Crimes, What-If, preventing Order 66
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:21:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23876851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corvus_Albus/pseuds/Corvus_Albus
Summary: What if Fives had survived and escaped Coruscant? How would he have done it and what could it have changed? This story is one version of how things could have turned out, if he had lived, as well as the struggles, battles and adventures that followed. So, is it not yet too late to prevent Order 66 and restore the Republic? Is it worth saving?
Relationships: CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555/Original Female Character(s), Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 10
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1 |Most Wanted

## 

## Chapter 1 | Most Wanted

* * *

Coruscant looked peaceful from the lofty Jedi Temple, proudly standing upon the artificial surface of the planet. The upper towers of the city shimmered sliver in the last light of the day, looking deceptively pristine so high above the thousands of lower levels no natural light ever reached. Anakin however, standing alone at one of the large oval windows along the corridor, felt restless, his mind going through the events of the past couple days, trying to make sense of everything.

It all had started on Ringo Vinda.

Trooper Tup had killed Jedi Master Tiplar, his mind seemingly altered by something, had gotten kidnapped by the Separatists on his way to Kamino, forcing them to stage a rescue. And yet despite their efforts he'd died on Kamino, a necrotic biochip having apparently caused his violent episodes and led to his death, probably due to some pathogen.

And now?

Now ARC trooper Fives, who had stayed by Tup's side, had lost his mind as well and even tried to kill the Chancellor, following the removal of his supposedly healthy chip. The clone was on the run somewhere here on the most populated planet of the galaxy, according to Master Shaak Ti convinced that the biochips themselves were the problem.

But why attack the Chancellor? Was the removal of the chip responsible? The Kaminoans claimed that they kept the clones in check, made them less aggressive than their template Jango Fett. If that was true a malfunctioning or removal would explain unexpected violent actions. Still, what had caused Tup's chip to malfunction? A virus or even a parasite? Anakin had seen what Geonisian worms could do, though why had only one clone been affected?

After listening to Shaak Ti's report the Kaminoans' explanation seemed reasonable, but the meeting had left Anakin with more questions, and that the Jedi weren't supposed to help with the search was puzzling. Why had Tup only been aggressive towards Jedi? Why had he kept mumbling on about orders? It gave at least a little credence to Fives' claim of a Separatist plot.

Frustrated the young Jedi rubbed his temples; this was starting to give him a headache.

This all felt too much like what had happened to Ahsoka not all that long ago. And she had been framed.

Anakin knew Fives and something just felt off. As a Jedi he was supposed to trust his instincts and his told him that there was more to this than what the Kaminoan's claimed. The problem was that everyone was now hunting the ARC trooper, and Anakin doubted they would take him alive. He knew how 'malfunctioning' clones were usually dealt with.

He had to do something, anything. Whatever the truth was, he wanted to hear Fives out, owed him that much; he was still one of his men after all. However that meant finding his trooper first, somehow.

As Anakin considered his options he heard footsteps approaching, and when he turned his head saw Captain Rex, helm under his arm. Judging by his expression the Jedi could tell that the clone was troubled as well, which wasn't surprising. He and Fives had seen many battles together and had saved each other's lives multiple times throughout the war; Rex was certainly not about to abandon his brother now either.

"Any news, Captain?"

"No, sir."

"I suppose that's good," Anakin said, turning back to the city. "Means they haven't found him yet. But we have to."

"And what if we do?"

For a moment the Jedi hesitated. "I'm not sure. I don't buy the story of a virus or parasite. Only one affected clone, seeing as Fives' biochip was fine, when he had it removed. No, there is more to this. We have to question Fives, find out what happened on Kamino, with the Chancellor, but I'm afraid no one else will want to hear it. I'm afraid after what happened they will shoot on sight."

"Then we would have to keep his capture a secret," Rex noted.

Anakin nodded grimly. "Which comes with its own set of problems."

He heard his captain sigh. "And we can't turn to anyone for help."

Help. "Wait, what...?"

"I said we can't turn to anyone for help; right now everyone is out for blood." Rex paused for a second. "The...commander was lucky that she was still part of the Jedi order, when she was on the run. But a clone accused of trying to assassinate the Chancellor himself." He gripped his helmet more tightly. "There won't be a trial."

Anakin clenched his hands into fists. "I know, I know, but maybe there is a chance we can get help." It was a small chance, but what choice did they have? "Come."

"Where are we going, sir?" Rex asked as they headed down the corridor, almost breaking into a run.

"Clones and Jedi aren't the only ones fighting this war. There are freelancers, mercs and others employed to undermine the Separatists and I happen to know a few of them. If we are lucky there is one on Coruscant right now; it is one of the few places they can get everything they need and meet with clients, so there is a chance." It was slim, but he would grasp any straw he could get his hands on.

"Can we really trust them?"

That managed to elicit a mirthless chuckle from Anakin. "Right now I'm not sure whom we can trust," he said grimly. "But the two of us can't get to the bottom of this alone."

Soon they entered the library, all but vacant at this time and with so many Jedi spread out across the galaxy. The young Jedi only saw the librarian at the far side of the vast hall, apparently not having noticed them, as she disappeared between the rows of blue glowing servers.

With no one else in sight Anakin took the first computer they could find, his fingers already tipping before he'd sat down. A validation of his identity later, the screen presented him with a long register of several hundred names, the most trustworthy freelancers, mercenaries and smugglers a Jedi might call upon. Not that that was necessarily saying much. "Let's see what the list says." Anakin went quickly through the roster, trying to find familiar names. He'd worked with several in the past, even before the war, sometimes chance encounters, other times they had been directly employed due to their skills. Never had he expected that he would need one of them in a situation like this. "Off world, somewhere in the Outer Rim, MIA," the Jedi muttered to himself as read the names, until he finally stopped scrolling. "Aha, there is one. The Nexu."

Rex stepped closer to get a better view of the screen. "Nexu, sir?" Knowing of the four-eyed, feline carnivore, he wondered how this freelancer had earned that particular name.

Anakin leaned back in his chair, recalling their encounters. "She and her crew have been a pain to slavers and pirates since before the war. That's when I first met her actually, on a mission with my master. In the past few years they've expanded their list of targets, gathering intel or committing sabotage for us. Remember the droid factory on Laodia Prime?"

"If I recall correctly it was destroyed prior to the Republic invasion," Rex recounted.

"Their handiwork." His eyes went over a few more names, before returning to Nexu. It had to be her. "She herself is reliable. Considering the list, I think she's our best option to save Fives right now."

Once again Rex clutched his helmet. "I hope you're right, sir."

"Yeah, me too."

**...**

Anakin returned to his quarters in the temple, having sent Rex to get them a speeder. In case the freelancer accepted he wanted to have credits with him should she demand payment up front. He knew he would have neither the time to haggle, nor the patience. It was also a good place to contact her without having someone else listen in.

As soon as the door closed behind him he activated his holoprojector and waited. The next few seconds streched painfully long, before the image of a woman appeared.

She looked the way he remembered her, including her quite long, curly hair; frankly he still hadn't figured out how she got it to fit into the helmet she wore on missions. "Zuri, it's good to see you."

"It's been a while, Skywalker," the young woman said with a polite smile. "What do I owe the pleasure of your call?"

"Can you talk?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm on my ship, if that suffices."

It did; no one but her crew would be there. "I have an urgent job for you here on Coruscant. A life and death situation."

Now her smile faded for good. "Sounds serious. Why are you calling me though? Have you run out of Jedi?"

"Not exactly. Can we meet in person?"

"That serious, huh? Alright, just say where."

* * *

Despite the past few years Rex was certain that he would never quite get used to his general's style of flying. However, he had learned to infer the Jedi's emotional state from it and right now, judging by the sharp turns and aggressive acceleration, he could tell that Skywalker was almost agitated, while his eyes showed grim determination. Admittedly, Rex was grateful that the General was so determined to see this through himself, and the clone was aware that the two of them were probably the only chance Fives had of surviving this ordeal.

They were heading straight into the night, as General Skywalker flew further and further away from the temple, purposefully flying a serpentine route, before finally diving into the lower levels through one of the many circular underworld portals. They passed several smaller starships and overtook other speeders, until they reached the end of the massive ventilation shaft.

The underworld was almost like a massive, artificial cavern, with spires reaching into the open space from above like stalactites. Skywalker got them out of the ever busy traffic to a quieter but also darker area. Here only a few signs spread light upon the occasional passer-by, though several more, which were currently turned off, indicated that this place had seen better days.

Eventually Rex spotted a small landing platform up ahead, another speeder already parking there, though he couldn't see anyone around. The general slowed down and set down beside the other speeder.

Instinctively Rex rested a hand on one of his DC's as they left the vehicle, keenly observing their surroundings.

"Easy, Rex," Skywalker told him, before turning to the walkway that led from the platform to the nearest spire that had been build down from the ceiling. "This way."

The clone followed, still ready to draw his weapon at a moment's notice. After crossing the chasm, the two found themselves at the bottom tip of the spire, stepping into a small barren room, the only light coming from a button next to the lift.

They travelled up, stopping again after only a few storey's and entered what seemed to be a circular observation deck, also unlit. Through the windows one could see all the way to the underworld portal, and when Rex turned around he spotted one or two more in the distance past the central tube containing the lift.

"Considering we're below the surface, it's quite a view, isn't it?" a female voice suddenly remarked.

From the shadows to their right emerged a humanoid figure, her features only revealed once she walked into the dim light shining through the windows.

The woman was clearly Pantoran, having near sky-blue skin and snow-white hair, not to mention the yellow facial markings. Rex knew that some Pantorans displayed them as sort of a status symbol, signifying family affiliation and lineage, though he couldn't interpret them. There was a single stripe across her nose and two curved triangles at either side of her face, which started at the hair line above the ears, and ended below her eyes, pointing at them.

Judging by her clothing and the blaster pistol by her side, a DH-17 by the looks of it, she could have been a smuggler. There was also a snap baton attached to her belt and the hilt of a knife was sticking out of her right boot.

General Skywalker smiled. "Captain Rex, this is Zuri Chausiku, also known as the Nexu."

"Pleasure, miss," Rex greeted her, a little stiffer than intended, but he was tense. Time was running out.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice or care, as she merely smiled and nodded. "Likewise, Captain. Now, Skywalker what is this about?" Well, at least she was straight to the point.

"I'm looking for a fugitive and I want him alive. Problem is I'm the only one who really does."

She raised an eyebrow. "Want me to track him down?"

"If possible. More importantly I need someone, who can make him disappear so I can question him and find out what I need to learn."

"Doable," Chausiku promised. "I need a name and description, picture if you have any."

The general took out a datapad and handed it to her. "ARC trooper Fives," he explained as she studied the file. "Something happened to one of my men, he appears to have investigated on his own and now, among others, they say he attempted to murder the Chancellor. We need to find him before anyone else does."

"So he's the one everyone is looking for. I've been wondering about the commotion at the senate." Why had she been there? Clients? The Pantoran lifted her head, giving Skywalker a questioning look. "Are you convinced he's innocent?"

"That's one of the things we need to find out, but we won't if he's dead," he replied grimly. "As far as we know he believes that there is some sort of conspiracy involving the clones against the Jedi, the Republic as a whole. If there is even some truth to that we need to know."

Chausiku's eyes flickered to the file, deliberating for a moment as it seemed. "Point taken," she eventually agreed. "If you want to question him, and perhaps even keep him alive long enough to serve as a potential witness, there is only one thing we can do."

Rex frowned. "And what is that?"

"Fake his death," she calmly told him, before turning back to the general. "If everyone thinks he's dead, you will have all the time in the galaxy."

"And how do we do that?" Skywalker inquired.

The Pantoran tapped her chin. "Well, finding him is going to be the difficult part. Does he trust you?"

The general crossed his arms in front of his chest and sighed. "From what we've heard he's in bad shape right now. Paranoid even."

"That complicates matter," Chausiku noted. "Well, then I guess it would be best if we just stunned him; explaining everything and convincing him to trust us might take too long. Then I get him to my ship."

The clone's eyes narrowed. "Your ship?" Rex already disliked the idea of involving outsiders into this, but handing over Fives to them was going too far.

Chausiku, however, was clearly unimpressed, returning his stony gaze. "We're leaving planet first thing in the morning. Right now, your friend is saver off planet, and once things have calmed down we can set up a meeting. Until then, he should stay with me, unless you have another place to keep him."

"No," Skywalker jumped in, before Rex could open his mouth. "Fine, we stun him, you take him with you, then what?" Did the general really trust her that much? Rex wanted to protest, but he knew that they had nowhere to hide Fives, and smuggling him off-world could prove difficult as well; given their connection to the ARC trooper, there were probably a few eyes on them. Probably one of the reasons General Skywalker had set up the meeting here in the lower levels.

"Well, we need a body to fake his death convincingly, and we have to set up a place; I'm thinking about an explosion, something that will maim our fake enough to make it work," Chausiku suggested.

It wasn't a bad idea, but Rex could see a potential issue with it, aside from causing an explosion on the probably most populated planet within the galaxy. "Problem is they will probably test DNA or at least the identifying code, if they find an arm."

The Pantoran looked at him puzzled. "Code?"

Rex tapped against his vambrace. "Every clone has an identifying code inserted in their left wrist, allowing authorised personal and droids to look into their records."

"A chip I presume?"

"Yes."

She thought about this for a moment. "We can transplant that, I'm sure. We'd have to. And if they find it, there is a good chance they won't bother with a DNA sample, which would actually work in our favour. After all, they don't have a reason to suspect a decoy and all clones have the same DNA anyway." Chausiku looked to the Jedi. "I will need a few of my crew for this though, if you're alright with that. Let me..."

In that moment the general's com started beeping. Could it be...had the Coruscant Guard found Fives? "Hang on," Skywalker interrupted her, before taking the call. "Kix, what is it?"

* * *

Dawn had come and casted the first light upon this particular part of Coruscant, though the sun disappeared again from view once the gunship descended to the lower levels. Commander Fox narrowed his eyes, seeing the landing platform of the warehouse they were heading towards just below.

"Touch down in thirty seconds," the pilot told him over the com.

"Check your weapons and keep your eyes peeled," Fox said turning to the men standing beside him. "Remember, we have orders to take out the target should he resist." He didn't want them to hesitate just because they were pursuing a fellow clone, especially as he was clearly dangerous. Somehow he'd already taken out two of his men just before trying to murder the Chancellor, despite having been unarmed. If they had gotten in but a second later... No, Fox wouldn't take the risk, even if he was armed with nothing but a damn knife. Even an upstart ARC was still an ARC.

Ten seconds.

Fox checked again, and the drone that had followed ARC trooper Fives was still on the platform, assuring him that no one had left. Apparently General Skywalker and Captain Rex had arrived not long ago and not told him, which didn't exactly surprise the commander, considering the events surrounding the former Padawan Ahsoka Tano. He started to wonder if there was something wrong with the 501th, from the general to the troopers, not that he would ever openly voice these concerns. Still, they all attracted and caused too much trouble for his liking.

The transporter touched down and the Coruscant Guard jumped out, weapons ready, Fox taking point. He'd hardly taken two steps, when the massive doors in front of them opened.

"Sir, look!"

General Skywalker and Captain Rex came running out, spotting them immediately. The Jedi waved his arms and shouted from the top of his lungs. "Get down, it's about to...!"

He never got to finish his sentence.

Something within the warehouse exploded, blinding waves of fire expanding outwards and leaking through the portal. The shockwave knocked Fox off his feet along with everyone else, as fire engulfed the doors. From the corner of his eye he even saw the transporter shake, as pieces of metal rained down on the platform, smoke spreading like a thick fog.

Getting back up as quickly as he could Fox rushed to the Jedi's side, who was slowly lifting himself off the ground. He seemed a little dazed, sitting down for a moment, probably because he hadn't been protected by helmet and armour. "General, what happened?"

"ARC trooper Fives," he panted as the others joined them, Fox's men forming a protective semi-circle. "We found and confronted him," the general coughed waving the smoke away with his hand. "Shots were fired. He took a hit, we heard a countdown..."

"Sir," Captain Rex interjected, kneeling beside his commanding officer. "Fives was immobilized; he couldn't have made it out."

"We'll search the debris." Skywalker turned to Fox. "Commander, get us some help down here, I want it moved."

"Right away, sir."

**...**

They had to wait for almost an hour before they could finally enter the warehouse. It hadn't been enough to simply kill the fire, as the hall had turned into an oven filled with boiling steam, requiring the team of firefighters to also cool down the heated metal. Accompanied by explosives experts they had entered the warehouse first, snuffing out any remaining pockets of embers.

The commander had also called in a few more of the Coruscant Guard to secure the area around the warehouse in the meantime, just in case, though if what the General had told him was true, the fugitive couldn't have made it to the backdoor or a fire exit. Still, better safe than sorry.

Finally General Skywalker and Fox got the okay.

Inside smoke was still rising from some of the debris, droids stabilising the weakened infrastructure to prevent the roof from coming down upon their heads. Nothing else had been changed as this was now a crime scene, though the water had washed smaller pieces away.

Fox's men spread out, as Skywalker guided the commander and Captain Rex to the spot where they had encounter the rogue ARC trooper. It turned out to be near the epicentre of the explosion, which surprised Fox a little; had he been willing to kill himself rather than get arrested? He had been described as unstable...

"General Skywalker, we've found something!"

All three turned their heads and immediately headed over to a pair of troopers, one crouching next to a charred canister of sorts. Despite the explosion Fox had expected to find a body, but that wasn't exactly the case.

The Jedi noticeably stiffened. "An...arm?"

"Sir, you think it's...?" Captain Rex began, only to be interrupted by his general.

"Scan the wrist!"

Trooper Cypher turned the arm around, removing what little remained of the once white vambrace. "ARC trooper 5555, sir," he confirmed, which honestly relieved Fox.

"Fives," Rex breathed.

General Skywalker's eyes narrowed. "Damn it."

"The rest of the body?" Fox asked; there had to be more.

"We found a few more remains nearby, but they are completely burned, sir," the other trooper replied, before pointing to several spots around them. "Given the way they are scattered, they belong to the same subject and were close to the origin of the explosion. We were lucky this one was covered by a piece of debris."

Fox took the scanner they'd used on the remains. "Was there anyone else in here, General?" Unlikely, but protocol required him to ask.

Unsurprisingly, the Jedi shook his head. "No, we didn't see anyone, nor was I able to sense another presence either. What had they stored here?" he wondered aloud, as he looked around the ruined warehouse.

"Perhaps it was a trap, sir," Captain Rex slowly suggested, speaking as if the word weight heavy on his tongue.

General Skywalker's expression darkened. "Then what he'd held in his other hand must have been the trigger. He was...frustrated when we didn't listen to him," the Jedi conceded, before his hands clenched into fists. "If we just could have arrested him. Commander, have this place cleaned up and the remains collected for cremation; there is no point sending them back to Kamino or the science centre in this condition. I have to inform the Chancellor and the Jedi Council that the situation has been...dealt with."

Fox straightened up. "Yes, sir." Frankly he was glad this mess had somewhat sorted itself out. He hadn't liked the idea of dealing with General Skywalker again, not after the whole Ahsoka Tano-affair. But he was right; most of the remains were so charred that the scanner essentially classified them as charcoal.

Meanwhile, the Jedi turned to his second in command. "Captain Rex. Please tell the men; best they hear it from you."

The Captain's voice was quiet when he answered. "Of course."

* * *

Zuri Chausiku closed the door of the ship and turned to her friends, taking a deep breath. They'd done it. Maahes and Quin were carrying the still stunned clone between them, the latter also holding a half empty bottle of cheap liquor in the other hand. As to not attract unwanted attention they had pretended to be a group of friends returning from a night at a bar, which had thankfully worked, in part due to the boys' off-key singing and loud laughter, roaring in Maahes' case, since he was Cathar.

Who would look for a fugitive clone in a group of partying civilians, especially since they'd gotten rid of the noticeable white armour, covered the black bodysuit with a long robe and his head with a turban, which were popular with many desert dwelling cultures. Just to be sure Quin had dressed to match.

"So, what have we gotten into?" Maahes asked, his cheerful façade replaced by a concerned frown, now that they were among themselves, his long ears twitching once.

"Political intrigue, attempted murder, general conspiracies," the Pantoran listed calmly, hoping to mask her own doubts. This wasn't quite like previous jobs, they could all feel it.

"Lovely," Quin noted dryly, readjusting the clone's arm across his shoulders. "I hope we're at least getting paid well."

Zuri managed a small chuckle. "I'll have Skywalker compensate us for our troubles, don't worry."

"Glad to hear it," another voice chimed in, and from a corridor leading to the cockpit appeared Kina, an honest smile on her lips, her sniper rifle still hanging across her back. "We're ready to go; Dahro is warming up the engines as we speak."

"Good, the sooner the better," the Pantoran said and turned back to the others. "Could you get our guest to Doc and have him checked out?"

"Will do."

The two women watched as they somehow squeezed themselves with the clone through the doorway, heading straight to the little medical bay they'd set up on-board their small freighter. As soon as the three were out of view Kina spoke. "So you too noticed he was acting funny?"

"Hard to miss," Zuri admitted. "I'm guessing drugs. Someone wanted to make sure that he'd have no credibility or maybe hoped he would get himself killed." Which meant he knew something, otherwise they, whoever that entailed, likely wouldn't have made the effort.

The other woman leaned against the wall, giving the Pantoran a quizzical look, though nothing indicated that she was actually worried. If anything she seemed excited. "You do realize that we are now protecting someone who tried to kill the Chancellor and is probably public enemy number one? Or close to it anyway."

She would have been a fool to not be troubled by that. "I just painted a target on all our backs, didn't I?" Hopefully this hadn't been a huge mistake. But after what she'd heard from Skywalker, the desperation of ARC trooper, who everyone was so eager to get their hands on...now she too wanted to find out what was going on, this was big, though dragging her crew, her friends, into this made her feel uneasy. Depending on how long the clone would be staying with them, they would have to discuss this.

Kina however was smiling again and followed the others deeper into the ship. "Well, then we'll just have to make sure no one finds out he's still alive."

"Yeah," Zuri confirmed somewhat dryly, more to herself than her friend. "Just."


	2. Chapter 2 | A Dead Man

## Chapter 2 | A Dead Man

* * *

Thunder rumbled bleakly in the distance, while dark grey clouds blocked any sunlight that was trying to make its way to Coruscant. All in all Anakin found that the weather reflected his mood quite well.

He’d been restless these past few days, impatiently waiting for the opportunity to contact Zuri Chausiku, especially now that he’d seen Fives’ condition for himself. The problem was that things hadn’t quite yet come to a close as he’d hoped. The 501st was currently under close scrutiny; every trooper was questioned and examined, allegedly to find out if more had been infected by the Ringo Vinda parasite or showed neurologically symptoms.

At least everyone seemed to believe that Fives had died in the warehouse explosion, given the young Jedi’s and Rex’s statements, as well as the evidence Commander Fox’s men had found. The fake body, or rather the few scattered remains, had been cremated that same morning, conveniently making further inquiries pointless.

Hopefully, wherever Chausiku had brought Fives, he wouldn’t be recognized. Lone clones tended to stick out.

Lightning suddenly brightened the hallway and Anakin sighed. He needed to get his mind off these matters for a moment. Patience had never truly been something he had in spades and after some attempts at meditation he’d decided to practise his lightsaber forms instead.

That was until he spotted someone familiar coming his way not far from the training halls. “Obi-Wan,” he called out, glad to see his former master again. He was one of the few people the young Jedi truly trusted, if perhaps not with every detail of his life. Still, with everything that was happening, Anakin hoped that if there was truth to Fives’ accusations that he could turn to Obi-Wan for help.

“Ah, Anakin. I’ve actually been looking for you.”

He raised an eyebrow, but managed to smile nonetheless. “Should I be worried?”

“I hope not,” Obi-Wan replied, but then his expression turned grim. With a small gesture of his hand, he asked his former Padawan to join him in one of the alcoves along the hallway. Only once they were out of direct view, he continued, his voice lowered. “I’ve heard about what happened on Ringo Vinda and to your ARC Trooper. Frankly it’s difficult to believe.”

Anakin’s smile faltered for good. “I’m afraid it’s true. Who told you?”

“Shaak Ti filled me in. Though I have to say; an artificial chip, organic or not, is a strange target for a pathogen, don’t you think?” Obi-wan asked, scrutinizing him thoughtfully. After what the two of them had uncovered about Sifo-Dyas, it wasn’t too surprising that he was suspicious.

For a second the younger Jedi hesitated. Was it not too early to fill his friend in, given what little he had at this point? There wasn’t really anything besides the ARC’s survival, and the fewer knew right now, the better. It would be best to be vague for the time being. “Well, so apparently did my ARC Trooper. He investigated on his own, removed his chip and...”

“Attacked a Kaminoan scientist and the Chancellor?” his former master finished for him.

Anakin nodded, before he briefly glanced over his shoulder, though fortunately there was no one nearby. “Yeah. I went after Fives, but when I finally found him he wasn’t himself. He was rambling about a conspiracy and the Chancellor being responsible, or involved somehow, even though back on Kamino he claimed it was all a Separatist plot. Now we’ll never know.”

Obi-wan stroke his beard, as he so often did when he was contemplating, his eyes turning to the window opposite to the alcove. Thunder was growling once more in the distance. “Mhm...”

“What are you thinking?” A part of Anakin really wanted to tell his old master and he wondered if he should take him with him to meet Chausiku and Fives.

“The same as you I presume,” Obi-Wan said, turning back to give him a meaningful look. “That once again we are not privy to the entire truth, not with everyone so eager to close this particular chapter. I’ve heard your men are given treatment against the parasite?”

“And questioned,” Anakin added somewhat tensely. “The medical officers assured me that they are only looking for neurological abnormalities.”

“You think there is more to that.”

“Captain Rex and a few others of my men told me they also asked about Fives.”

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. “Naturally, given his accusations. Ideas like that could cause dissent, and the 501st has a bit of a reputation already.”

The young Jedi frowned. He could sense that it wasn't meant as an insult. Still. “Excuse me?”

The Jedi Master sighed. “As generals we influence the men under our command, in some respect they come to mirror us. Unlike most, you’ve always treated yours as individuals from the start, valued their lives. You improvise, break rules when you deem it necessary. Compared to many other legions, I feel your men have become far more individualistic and well... creative. Think about Umbara. They took matters into their own hands and not only managed to ensure a republic victory, but also dealt with a rogue Jedi, who was trying to get them killed. Though I fear now their execution of Krell might be viewed in a different light.”

Anakin covered his eyes with a hand, fingers digging into his temples. “Don’t remind me. I wish I had never left my men under his command.” He vividly remembered his shock and horror at learning what had happened during the campaign, what his men had suffered through, Krell’s actions. If only he hadn’t left for Coruscant; he would probably regret that for the rest of his life. “You know what the funny thing is?” he asked, slowly lowering his hand again. “It was Fives, who insisted on attacking the enemy supply ship and who led the attack, while it was Tup, who managed to lure Krell into a trap and stunned him.”

“Yes, the very same, who are now responsible for the death of a Jedi and almost killed the Chancellor.”

“One has nothing to do with the other,” the younger Jedi suddenly all but snapped, just managing to keep his voice down.

“The chips, yes,” Obi-Wan agreed and crossed his arm in front of his chest. “I too have a few questions concerning them, especially after everything we’ve learned about the creation of this army of ours. But I’m afraid they will have to wait for the time being. ”  Though he had his emotions far better in check than his former student, Obi-Wan’s displeasure about this was evident Anakin being able to sense it disrupting his usually calm mind. “Right now everyone has their guard up; not the best time to ask uncomfortable questions.Also, there is another matter that requires our attention.”

“Oh? And what would that be?” Sure, he’d wanted a distraction, but nothing that could delay his meeting with Chausiku further.

“We’ve been assigned to another urgent mission.”

“Aren’t they all?” Anakin asked dryly.

“Yes, quite. It’s actually why I’ve been looking for you in the first place.”

“You could have called.”

“You have a habit of not always answering,” the other Jedi pointed out.

Anakin merely shrugged. Briefly he considered whether he should or even could decline, but quickly decided against it. It could look suspicious, and he wanted to have Rex with him, when he met with the freelancer. Like himself his captain had been somewhat tense, detained with the rest of the 501st until further notice, which could mean days. Perhaps a mission wasn’t such a bad idea to pass the time, and Obi-Wan likely wouldn’t ask, if he could do it alone. “So, to what remote backwater are they sending us this time?”

“Have you ever been to Utapau?”

* * *

The familiar humming of machines was the first thing that reached him through the darkness, as he was slowly waking from slumber. No, not sleep, not really. Something deeper.

His body was heavy, a numb prison for his puzzled mind. What happened?

Finally, he realised that he was lying on a rather soft surface and there was something in his arm. But he wasn’t restrained. With every passing minute he could feel more, until he managed to move his fingers. It was little more than a few twitches, but it was a start.

The air he breathed smelled different from what he was used on Coruscant or cruisers, it was almost crisp in comparison. It reminded him of the fresh air on Kamino, just after the rain, though it lacked that salty note of a sea breeze. Besides, he was clearly indoors, which pretty much ruled out his home world, as the Kaminoans preferred almost sterile environments; even the barracks there smelled more like a hospital than the medical bays on most ships and military bases. This place however, didn’t seem to be either.

Confused by these impressions Fives struggled to open his eyes. He needed to know where he was. His eyelids moved with the speed of glaciers, though eventually he was greeted with blazing light that almost made him regret waking up in the first place. Was that a sun? It took time to get used to the brightness, his eyes tearing up a little. How long had it been since he’d last opened them?

Given a little time they adjusted and Fives found himself in a small room with plain walls. He was in a bed next to a window, his view blocked by thick curtains, wearing loose clothing of a light and white fabric. Looking to his arm, he saw a needle sticking in his vein, connecting him to what he guessed was an IV. He was getting parenteral nutrition? Just how long had he been out? He’d expected to be dead or at least imprisoned. Straining himself, he checked the writing on the bag, though since it hung sideways he was unable to read the label _._

Groaning Fives tried to sit up, but couldn’t lift more than his head. In that moment the curtains began to move in a gentle breeze. Then he heard birds singing. This couldn’t be Coruscant.

“What? Where?” The galaxy had officially stopped making sense to him and Fives struggled even more to sit up, his questions having doubled in number.

“Please be still, you are in a medical facility,” a mechanical sounding voice spoke up and from somewhere behind him a droid stepped next to the bed. It wasn’t a separatist model, humanoid in appearance though with as oval, almost featureless head, except for two silver eyes. Its exterior was mostly of a turquoise colour, kind of like oxidized copper, the rest a light grey.

“Medical facility?” Fives asked it, still confused.His voice sounded hoarse.

“You are here for recovery,” the droid stated. “I will notify the captain that you are awake.”

Captain? Did it mean Rex? But he had been behind the shield with General Skywalker, so who had knocked him out? Someone else of the 501st perhaps; at least Kix had also known about the meeting.

Fives leaned back, letting his head sink into the small pillow, taking a deep breath. His head was a mess, spinning actually, as a thousand thoughts were simultaneously fighting for his attention. No, his questions didn’t matter as much as finally convincing someone of the inhibitor chips’ true nature. Hopefully, Rex would finally hear him out, now that they seemed to be in a somewhat secure location.

After a minute or two Fives heard the door opening again and steps of a person entering, though it didn’t sound like the boots clones wore.

“Good morning, or evening I should say,” a female voice greeted him.

Fives opened his eyes again and this time managed to sit up with more ease. Instead of Rex he was staring puzzled at a young woman, a Pantoran, judging by the light blue skin and golden eyes, nearly matching the traditional tattoos on her face. Her snow white hair was tied into a ponytail, but still distinctly curly, contrasting her mostly black clothes. And she was armed; he saw the butt of a blaster pistol at her hip.

Alarmed Fives pushed himself away from this stranger as far as possible, until his back hit the wall. “Who are you? Where am I?” He wished he was armed, though in his state doubted he would be able to put up much of a fight anyway. His eyes briefly glanced over to the window, wondering how his chances of escape were just in case.

The Pantoran however remained relaxed despite his reaction, though for a second her expression showed concern. “Easy, you’ve been out for quite a while,” she softly explained, pulling up a chair. “You are on Alderaan and my name his Zuri Chausiku. I’m a freelancer. Your general Skywalker hired me and my crew to get you to safety.”

“Safety?”

She gave him a serious look. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Fives looked down, furrowing his brow as he tried to concentrate. “I…I was meeting General Skywalker, Rex…,” he started slowly. He remembered trapping them behind the ray shield, just to be safe after everything that had happened the last few days, while desperately trying to find the right words to explain everything, to convince them. He remembered being exhausted, his head feeling like it was about to split, dazed and wired at the same time. Like on so many missions before he’d forced himself to focus on the task at hand. But he hadn’t gotten far with his explanations. “I was shot.”

The Pantoran nodded. “Yeah, that was my friend stunning you. You were among others accused of attempted murder and to our knowledge those hunting you had orders to kill you unless you immediately surrendered. As the Coruscant Guard was closing in, we had to act quickly, so we knocked you out and put your armour on a decoy. Skywalker then blew up your not-so-secret meeting spot and faked your death. Now everyone who wanted to silence you thinks you’re dead.”

What? That meant someone, or a few people actually, had arrived at the warehouse before even he had gotten there himself and set the place up. It had been quite a drive from 79’s. So Kix probably had passed on the information immediately to Skywalker, who in turn had not hesitated to tell this freelancer, if she was telling the truth. But what reason would she have for lying? Both the Kaminoans and the Chancellor clearly wanted him dead.

Still, Fives wasn’t certain he could fully trust her. Freelancers worked for anyone, who was willing to pay enough. What if she sold him out later, if there was a more profitable opportunity? Then again helping him made her a target as well, and she seemed to have gotten him out of harm’s way. Regardless of how confinable she was, contacting Skywalker as soon as possible had priority. If he really was on Alderaan, what were his options?

And with that his thoughts once again turned into unfocused mess; it felt like there was a vibroblade sticking in his skull. “Oh,” Fives groaned, cradling his head with both hands, feeling the blood pumping beneath his fingers. Too much all at once.

“Slowly,” the Pantoran told him, actually sounding concerned. “Our medical droid found a strong, nerve-damaging drug in your system. He put you into a medical coma for your detox and the induced regeneration, but you’ll need time to get your strength back. Don’t rush it.”

So it really had been drugs. He’d figured as much, but having been unable to do anything about it, he’d just tried to carry on as best he could. Well, if it was now out of his system, there was no reason to waste any more time.

Fives turned around to sit on the edge of his bed, his bare feet touching the cool metal floor. Much to his annoyance that only made his head spin more and he swayed a little. “I have to see the general.” It should have been a decisive statement, but it came out as little more than a mutter.

The Pantoran steadied him with a hand on his shoulder. “I know, but right now he’s in the field. He’ll get in contact with us as soon as he’s finished his mission to set up a meeting, but until then you must stay here and recover. You and whatever information you have will be no good to anyone if you’re dead.”

Fives gave her an incredulous look, his eyes ever so briefly checking on her blaster pistol. None of this escaped her notice and Chausiku sighed. Slowly she pulled something out of one of her pockets, making sure her hand stayed away from the gun.

“Your friends figured you wouldn’t just trust any stranger,” she told him, handing him a small holoprojector.

A message? Eagerly Fives took the projector and turned it on. A miniature version of General Skywalker appeared, his expression grim. _“Fives, I hope when you hear this you’re alive and well. I know this isn’t what you had in mind, but I couldn’t ensure your safety on Coruscant, so I enlisted Zuri Chausiku to get you off-world. She’s an old acquaintance from before the war. Please stay with her until I can contact you. I have to make sure everyone buys into your ‘death’ first, so don’t do anything and stay low. I realize that is going to be difficult, but I promise I will hear you out as soon as I can get to you. May the Force be with you.”_

The holoprojector turned off. For a while Fives just stared at it. “How long?” he finally asked.

"You've been with us a little over a week, might take another or so before he can meet us. To be frank, I don't know anything about his mission, only that it's Jedi busisness, though as I know Skywalker, he will not dally away time."

“I can’t wait that long.” More of his brothers could be suffering the same fate as Tup in the meantime, or the inhibitor chips could be activated to kill more Jedi. He’d learned a lot, but not the details of whatever the enemies of the Republic had planned. The chips were only a piece, a key one, but there was more to this picture.

“You’ll have to,” the young woman insisted. “Please be patient; you almost got yourself killed. After what happened on Kamino and Coruscant, you better play it safe, because you won’t get a third chance. Besides, you’ve heard Skywalker.”

Kamino? Fives looked at her surprised at the mentioning of his home world. How much did she already know? By the sound of it, General Skywalker had not just given her this job, but fully debriefed her. Given that she used his last name, Fives figured that they weren’t close friends, yet Skywalker had confided in her and dragged her quite deeply into this mess. Considering this, he perhaps didn’t have to leave as soon as possible, if he could convince her to help out a bit more. He had to try; every day, every hour could be crucial.

“You don’t understand,” Fives said, feeling the desperation that had fuelled him since he’d been force to flee the medical facility on Coruscant clawing at him again. “The entire Republic army is in danger. The Jedi…”

He felt her hand on his shoulder again, this time applying pressure, as if to make sure he wouldn’t run off. “After what happened on Coruscant, no one will listen and the only two who might, are currently on the frontlines or under observation.”

“The evidence,” he began.

“If you had something it’s probably now in the hands of those who wanted you dead.” No, not quite; the chips were inside every clone, though his claims had only been met with doubt so far. “And from what Skywalker told me those chips have already been explained away by the Kaminoans. Whatever you do, you need to plan the next steps very carefully. So please, just stay with us for now and allow yourself to recover. Wait for Skywalker. Trust me he’s anxious to find out what’s going on.”

It was only a small comfort to know that the general was still willing to listen, but a comfort nonetheless. Still, if he couldn’t convince Skywalker, then what? Would he be turned over? Executed? And even if Skywalker believed him, what could they do to stop the conspirators from achieving their goals?

There was that throbbing pain in his temples again. This was his perhaps his last chance to make everything right. If he screwed this up, the consequences would be too extensive, too horrible, to even imagine. The Pantoran was right; he needed time to recover and plan. If General Skywalker hadn’t contacted them until he was back on his feet, he could still think about searching him out. Until then he could figure out a way to prove his claims or at least how he could encourage further investigation, anything.

“Alright,” Fives muttered, and Chausiku pulled her hand away. It was disconcerting how his body suddenly seemed to struggle with keeping him upright without her support.

“Do you think you can walk a little?” the Pantoran asked, perhaps noticing his body swaying a little.

When even sitting took such effort? Unlikely, but he hated the idea of just staying helpless in bed. “I guess, why?” He would at least try.

Chausiku rose from her chair, giving him a warm smile. “Well, if you want to get your strength back, you need real food, not just a drip,” she explained, pointing at the bag next to him.

She had no idea how good that sounded; his stomach felt like a bottomless pit, but as a soldier he was no stranger to hunger. “Honestly can’t remember when I had my last meal. Must have been before I got to Kamino,” Fives confessed. So much had happened; just how had everything gone so wrong, so fast?

“It’s been a while then. All the more reason…ups.” Fives had tried to stand up alone, only to find his legs giving out as soon as he tried to put some weight on them. The Pantoran caught him, needing to take a step back, as he no doubt was quite a bit heavier than her. She was about a head shorter than him, her stature similar to many of the female Jedi he’d served under. Not surprising if she’d been a combatant for years. “Here let me help.”

Fives couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. “Thanks. A bit dizzy.”

“Don’t mention it. Trust me, we’ve all been in rough shape a few times,” she assured him, placing his arm across her shoulders, so he could lean on her.

Fives hesitated for a moment to do so, trying to retain some of his dignity. His body, unfortunately, didn’t seem to care as much and so the clone gave in, supporting himself against her. “You all? How many are you?” he asked as they made their way to the door.

“Including the droid and myself? Six. We’re mostly handling slavers and pirates, but since the war started Separatists as well on occasion. But we can talk about that another day in more detail. Let’s take things slow, okay?”

“Agreed.” There was only so much he could take in all at once; already he kind of wanted to take a nap.

The door opened automatically when they approached, Chausiku leading him through a short, white corridor. It wasn’t as sterile as the ones on Kamino. There were a few house plants along the walls, the light emitted by the oval lamps above warm and almost yellow.

It was only a short way, until they walked together into a large circular living room, dominated by a pair of curved sofas at its centre arranged around a low table. There were glasses on cutlery on the latter, while on the other side of the room Fives spotted another open door, beyond which appeared to be the kitchen, judging by the sound and smells. There was also an oval opening in the wall with a counter, allowing the clone to throw a glance into the room, where three people seemed to busy themselves.

“Guys, we’re gonna need another plate,” the Pantoren shouted.

“Finally up I see,” a male voice replied from the kitchen. “Just a second.”

“Wait, let me help.”

Fives looked to his left and saw that the other one who had spoken was a Cathar approaching them, easily a head taller than the clone, his fur light brown. The combination of hair and beard gave the impression of a wild mane framing his face, while a pair of warm orange eyes studied Fives with some concern. Given how he felt, the ARC trooper assumed that he probably looked awful.

“This is Maahes,” Chausiku introduced the Cathar, as he took over supporting Fives for her.

“Welcome to Alderaan,” Maahes greeted him. “Guess this all has been a bit confusing.”

“A bit,” the clone admitted, as they took the last steps to one of the sofas “Honestly I’m still processing everything.”

The feline features shifted into a sympathetic smile. “Understandable. But trust me; a decent meal and a good night’s sleep will put a lot into perspective.”

“Feel like I could sleep for weeks,” Fives confessed as he sat down.

Maahes chuckled, before making himself comfortable on the other sofa. “We have a room prepared for you, so sleep for as long as you like. The others are leaving tomorrow, but I’ll be staying here with you.”

“Leaving?”

“Before Skywalker contacted me we had already taken another job, which we are still obligated to do, so Maahes will keep you company in the meantime. We should be back within a few days though,” the Pantoran explained as she took a seat beside him.

At first Fives wanted to ask what kind of mission she was talking about, when another woman approached, her skin of a deeper blue than Chausiku’s, handing him a steaming plate. “Here you go.”

“Oh, thanks.” Just by looking at it, Fives could tell that this meal was a far cry from the cheap stuff they dished out in Republican mess halls every day. For starters you could actually identify the vegetables, which had not been turned into an overcooked paste, which was a good sign.

“My name is Kina'shira'thi, but you may call me Kina just like everyone else.” Fives looked at her surprised; that didn’t sound like a Pantoran name, nor did she have the typical accent as he suddenly noticed. Then he saw red eyes. Not just the irises, the entirety of her eyes were red, almost glwoing. Thankfully she either didn’t notice or ignored him and continued on. “My apologies, for stunning you back on Coruscant.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he somewhat blankly told her.

She smiled and continued to pour out water for everyone, while with his stomach rumbling quite soundly again, Fives decided to take a bite. His eyes widened. This really was leagues above canteen food; it actually had taste to it, a sweet one at that. Evidently Kina had noticed his reaction. “You like it?”

“It’s good. Did you make this?”

“Oh, we never let her cook,” a merry voice chimed in. An olive-green Nautolan, who was just emerging from the kitchen along with a human, had spoken, both carrying plates for the others.

“I invite you to cook with ingredients you’ve never seen before,”retorted the other blue-skinned woman.

“Yeah, that excuse doesn’t work anymore, not after seven years,” the human pointed out, as he gave her one of the plates.

“So, you’d like me to pick it up again?” There was a challenging grin on her lips.

“Please don’t,” the man replied with a tone that reminded Fives of General Kenobi. “We live in dark enough times as it is.”

Chuckling the woman gave him a playful little shove with her elbow, before they too sat down.

“Anyway, I cooked today. I’m Dahro, by the way,” the Nautolan introduced himself, handing out the last of the plates. “And our culinary critic here is Quin.”

Fives merely nodded. He hoped he would remember their names, but the thing about being a clone was that you got really got with memorizing names and numbers. Plus in this case all the faces were different, which would make things easier.

Much to his relief as dinner went on and everyone started talking, no one directly spoke to Fives, allowing the clone to tune out. He had enough trouble concentrating as it was. Not to mention how tired he felt. It didn’t help that he felt lost between these strangers, having spent his entire life among brothers.

Still, the light-hearted tone of the conversations as well as the occasional laughter was surprisingly comforting as Fives’ thoughts inevitably turned back to Coruscant. He’d tried to tell Skywalker, but the words...they hadn’t come in the right order. Fives doubted anything he’d said had made much sense. If Kina hadn’t stunned him, would they have believed him? Ah, there was no telling. Likely not, given that no one else had really and that had been before the drugs. Good thing Kix had contacted the general regardless.

His temples started to throb painfully, and Fives did his best to push those thoughts aside. The Cathar was probably right; after a good night’s sleep, everything would probably make a lot more sense.

...

After dinner most of the crew took care of the dishes and suchlike, while Maahes took Fives upstairs to the first floor. There was only a single long hallway, looking just like the one downstairs, from which all other rooms branched off. The Cathar promised to show Fives around the entire house, but only after he’d gotten some much needed rest and so only pointed him to the bathroom as well as the guestroom he’d be staying in.  
  
The clone was surprised how big it was. Had it served as accommodation on a Republic cruiser they would have stuffed a dozen troopers into it, but here stood a single bed, opposite an oversized wardrobe. There were also a few mostly empty shelves along one of the walls, a small statue standing on one of them, along with an empty picture frame.  
  
“Hope this will do. It’s nothing fancy,” the Cather spoke up behind Fives.  
  
The ARC trooper couldn’t help but let an amused snort escape him. “I’m used to anything between bare ground on the battlefield and military barracks. Honestly that bed alone is pretty luxurious to me. ”  
  
“Well, if you need anything, just ask, we each have a room on this floor. You can find me farther down the hall, last door on the right. ”  
  
“Thank you,” Fives told him, just before he spotted something at the foot of his bed. “What’s this?” Picking up the uppermost item he unfolded what turned out to be a simple white shirt that actually seemed to be his size.  
  
“Clothing. We took the liberty of buying a few, since you only had your blacks and you’re going to be staying with us for a while.  Hope they fit. ” They’d thought of everything, hadn’t they? Well, he had been unconscious for a while, and he certainly wasn’t going to complain about fresh clothes. Come to think of it, this would be his first time wearing civvies.  
  
Failing to stifle a yawn, Fives nodded. “I’m gonna try them on tomorrow, if that’s alright.”  
  
Maahes just chuckled. “Fair enough. Goodnight. ”  
  
“Night.”  
  
The door closed behind the Cathar and Fives put his new clothes aside.Hetested the bed, his hand sinking deeper into the mattress than he’d expected.Given that those he was used to were usually as hard as a steel slat, he had to admit that wasn’t saying much. But with his eyes almost shutting on their own, Fives didn’t bother with the blanket, yet another thing he was unaccustomed to having, and let himself all but slump down. His head sunk into the soft pillow, the world turning dark as he fell asleep in an instant.

* * *

One of the advantages of being a captain was that you were actually given your own cabin, instead of having to share one with several brothers. This was in part because officers needed to do quite a bit of paperwork, whenever they weren’t on the battlefield or overseeing their men. During these past few days, Rex had come to appreciate this luxury more than usual.

Morale was low in the 501st.

Everyone had already been shocked by Tup’s actions and subsequent fate, but Fives’ had shaken everyone. The ARC trooper had been well liked since Umbara. Hearing that he’d gone rogue and died a traitor felt like a bad joke to many, something preposterous to reason.

This in addition with the examination and questioning of every trooper of the legion was starting to cause unrest, though few would ever voice their displeasure openly in these times. Coruscant used to be a place of respite between the countless battlefields, but now everyone just wanted to get back to the frontlines.

Rex too wanted to get off this world, though for different reasons. He wanted to check on Fives, hoped that he was back to his normal self. To have seen his friend so desperate, flustered, almost deranged even to the point of incoherency, had been disturbing. That just hadn’t been Fives.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

For a second Rex frowned, wondering who would seek him out this late in the evening. Still, it could be Skywalker. “Come in.”

But it wasn’t the general. Instead, Kix entered, the medic looking troubled, angry even. He only waited until the door had closed behind him, before he started to bluster, not even giving his captain the chance to get up from his bed. “Rex, what the hell happened? First Tup, now Fives?”

How could he even begin to explain? He wanted to tell Kix, but it would endanger them both and Fives. For the time being, the fewer people knew the better. “You talked to Fives; you saw how he was,” Rex started calm and carefully.

Kix ran a hand over his head. “I’ve never seen him like that, wish I never had. What did they do to him? I thought he was just supposed to escort and keep an eye on things.”

“You knew Fives. He...he took matters into his own hands, when he thought the Kaminoans weren’t doing everything they could for Tup.”

“Given that Tup died I’d say they weren’t. And a parasite? We have protocols to prevent our brothers from contracting pathogens, including the filtration of water. And those protocols were updated after the incident with the Geonosian worms.” Somewhat agitated he gestured towards the door. “And why are they questioning everyone, who so much as passed Fives in a hallway?”

Finally Rex got up, hoping to appease his friend. If he could at least lower his voice; you couldn’t hear much through these walls, but they weren’t entirely soundproof either. Nonetheless, he understood Kix’s frustration all too well. “Look, the fact of the matter is that something made Tup snap. According to the Kaminoans it was the result of a damaged inhibitor chip, which supposedly makes us more obedient and less aggressive than our template.”

“So, Tup’s chip gets infected by a parasite, and he tries to kill every Jedi he sees, while Fives pretty much tries to kill every authority figure except the Jedi. Have I got this right?” Kix asked doubtfully, frowning as if he suspected that Rex was keeping something from him. No clone was particularly good at lying and Rex was no exception. Hopefully, Kix wouldn’t do anything stupid.

“Fives was different, he removed his chip, but concerning the details I’m just as much in the dark as you are,” Rex confessed. “I wish I really knew what happened to either of them.” That at least was the truth. If Fives had returned to his senses, perhaps he could shed some light on everything.

“Then shouldn’t we do something? We can’t just put this behind us and move on, Rex.”

“You don’t think I feel the same way?” Rex replied irritated. “Fives was my friend. I saw him die and was helpless to do anything.” Well, not quite, but now he was with some stranger, who might sell him out if they didn’t show up, or things got too dangerous. He didn’t even know where. Frustrated, Rex pinched the bridge of his nose. “I filed a grievance report, for all the good that will do, but it’s all we can do. Fives rushed into this headfirst, and whatever happened to him, if there really is a conspiracy as he claimed, could happen to us should we investigate on our own.” The last thing he wanted was for anyone else to repeat that mistake; saving Fives had been too close a call as it was.

Kix just stared at him for a while. “So that’s it?” he asked quietly.

If only he could tell him. Instead, Rex placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I said it’s all ‘we’ can do. General Skywalker has some questions himself, and he’ll go look for answers once he’s completed his mission. I have no doubt he can learn more than we ever could. We’ll have to put our faith in him, and for the time be patient.”

The medic seemed to consider Rex’s words, until he eventually sighed. “The General is tenacious that’s for sure. Let’s hope he returns soon.”

“He will. Now get some sleep;I promise I'll keep you updated."  
  
At first his friend opened his mouth, as if he'd something else to say, but then merely nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Before he left, Kix turned around one more time. “Oh, and tell Commander Fox to stay away from our barracks; I can’t guarantee anything, if he shows his face here again.”

Rex frowned, troubled by the implication. “What happened?”

“Some of us tried to morn our fallen brothers. He decided to reprehend us, you know, since Fives was a traitor.” He could hear the edge in Kix voice, and Rex felt his own blood starting to boil, hands balling into fists. The gall. Whatever truly happened last week, he was certain that Fives was no traitor, there was an explanation for his actions. Well, he would find out before long, which was somewhat appeasing prospect.

“Was there a fight?” As much as Rex had come to dislike the commander of the Coruscant Guard, he could hardly tolerate his men turn violent against any of their brothers, especially a superior.

Kix huffed. “Not yet, but I suggest either the Coruscant Guard or we find a new bar,” he noted coolly.

Another thing to take care of. Rex wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. “I’ll talk with Fox,” he promised, sounding more tired than he wanted to; the last few days had been long. “And I’m sure we’ll find another bar.”

Suddenly his friend looked much calmer, his anger having seemingly dissipated. It was grief he now showed instead, the same Rex had seen in so many of his brothers’ faces, when he’d first brought them the news of Fives’ death. “Good; I don’t think I could set a foot in 79’s again anyway.”


	3. Chapter 3 | Stranger

## Chapter 3 | Stranger

* * *

Warm sunlight fell in through sand-coloured curtains, while birds sang fervently just outside. Fives was not used to wake up to something like this.

Still a little sleepy he ran a hand across his face, taking a deep breath, needing a second to remember where he was. Alderaan. The freelancers.

Suddenly wide awake Fives sat up, the mattress shifting unexpectedly with his movements. He looked around the room, from the oversized bed to the window, to the civvies he'd put on one of the shelves the previous night. So, he hadn't just imagined everything.

Carefully he placed his feet on the ground and tried to stand, feeling relieved when his legs were willing to carry his weight. Admittedly he still felt a little weak and his stomach was rumbling, but this was something. As a matter of fact, his head was feeling better too, clearer and the pain was gone.

Thusly encouraged Fives put on some of his new clothes. The white shirt's sleeves were a bit too long, which he fixed by rolling them up, but the black pair of pants were a perfect fit with the addition of a belt.

They were definitively strange to wear, since he'd spent most of the past two years in his blacks or full gear, ARC trooper armour especially being a lot heavier. He wasn't uncomfortable, but he certainly felt vulnerable in these. The lack of any weapon to defend himself with wasn't helping either.

But there wasn't much he could do about that and so, once he was ready, Fives headed slowly downstairs back to the kitchen.

So far he hadn't heard anyone in the large house, which only served to make him more wary, but once he reached the main floor, Fives heard humming that seemed to be coming from the living room. Oddly, there was no one there however, though a door, part of the massive glass front, was open. Beyond it Fives finally spotted the Cathar just outside.

Maahes, as the clone quickly recalled, was busy watering a variety of plants, some of which bore small fruits he couldn't identify. The feline ears twitched once or twice before Maahes looked up and he smiled upon spotting Fives. "Ah, good morning. I hope you had a pleasant night," he greeted him warmly.

The ARC trooper stepped outside, briefly distracted by the feeling of grass beneath his feet. He was only wearing socks, and he'd never walked around without boots on any world, only in base. It felt...curious. "Honestly I was out cold as soon as my head hit the pillow," Fives confessed and looked up in the sky. "What time is it?" The sun seemed to be right above them in a perfect blue sky. It was in stark contrast to the forest surrounding the house, conifers for the most part. Beyond the treetops he also saw a mountain range covered with snow, while farther downhill the surface of a lake sparkled in the sunlight. It was beautiful here.

Meanwhile, Maahes put his watering can aside. "Midday has just past. Would you like some lunch?"

"Huh? Oh, sure. Thanks." There was probably no clone, who would decline a decent meal, especially after a week of living on a fluid diet.

He followed the Cathar back inside and into the kitchen itself. It was spacious, and Fives assumed the entire crew could have cooked together without anyone feeling cramped. There was even a small table at the counter, towards Maahes was quick to point him, Fives taking it as his cue to take a seat.

"The others are gone I take it?" he asked as his remaining host washed his hands.

"They left Alderaan a few hours ago. How are you feeling?"

"Still sapped to be honest, not as badly as yesterday though."

"Glad to hear," Maahes said, actually sounding delighted, his words underlined by a smile that revealed some of his rather pointy teeth. And still; somehow he managed to make it look friendly. The Cathar pulled out a pan from one of the cupboards and gathered up ingredients. Fives really couldn't tell what he was preparing with his own admittedly limited knowledge, though some manner of eggs and meat were involved. "You kept Doc quite busy this past week, by the way."

"Doc? The droid?"

"The nickname just stuck, even though he insisted we use his number for a while."

A faint smile tugged at Fives' lips. "Sounds like a medical droid I knew."

What happened to AZI-3? They had probably wiped his memory by now, a loose end just like himself that had to be removed. Poor little guy. Fives knew he wouldn't have gotten this far without him. Still, their efforts had almost been in vain.

That reminded him of something. "Last evening Chausiku mentioned something about your droid putting me into a medical coma," Fives recalled, looking to the blue dot in the crook of his arm where until yesterday a needle had been. "How bad was I?" He was used to injuries sustained in battle, not poison.

Maahes' movements slowed as he cut some vegetables. "I'm no doctor, but form what I understand Doc's analysis found a strong drug in your system, a neurotoxin of sorts. According to him it first disrupts sensory nerves and higher brain functions, but a greater dosage could also inhibit functions across the entire central nervous system."

That was why he hadn't been able to think or talk clearly, why he'd been more aggressive and impulsive. "Could it have killed me?"

This time the Cathar turned around. His smile was gone, instead he looked somewhat reluctant for a second, before he took a deep breath. "If you had been given a higher dosage, Doc assumes you could have suffered from a wide variety of symptoms. Among others he mentioned cardiac arrhythmia and worse."

Fives was quiet for a moment.

This stuff could have stopped his heart, likely his breathing as well. If so, then Nala Se hadn't planned to kill him directly, just make his symptoms fit her story. His hands balled into fists; if he ever saw her again, he would make her pay and not just for what she'd done to him, but to Tup as well. What had been done to all his brothers.

Still, he was now cured, or at least recovering. "Did you have an antidote?" For what he assumed was something rather specific, and perhaps even rare, that would surprise him.

Maahes shook his head. "Unfortunately not; Doc had to synthesis it first, which took the better half of last week, and he doesn't even sleep. That's one of the reasons he induced the coma and put you on ice; slower metabolism, slower absorption of poison into the cells, less overall damage. Also, apparently induced nerve regeneration can be really uncomfortable, because of all those new signals reaching your brain at once, so it might have been good you weren't awake for that part." Suddenly the Cather frowned. "You look surprised."

Actually Fives was staring. "Well, it's...you've gone to great lengths for my treatment. I mean weren't you just hired to get me out of Coruscant?"

"Son, we weren't going to let your condition deteriorate only because it wasn't an explicit part of our contract. We're not heartless and as you can see," he gestured to the house. "We are not too concerned about credits at the moment. Besides, your general still has a lot of questions you will have to be able to answer soon."

With that Maahes turned back to the stove, as the oil was now sizzling in the pan, demanding his attention. While he cooked, Fives went over everything he had learned about these people. If not for credits, what was their motivation to work as freelancers and mercenaries, especially in these dangerous times? He remembered the Pantoran mentioning something about pirates and slavers. Some personal grudges perhaps? Well, depending on how long he needed to recover, he would have time to find out. But there was still one other thing on his mind.

"How exactly did you get me out? I never noticed anyone besides General Skywalker and Captain Rex." Even with the drugs in his system, he felt like he should have noticed something.

Meanwhile, Maahes was filling a rather large plate with the content of the pan, the smell enough to make the clone's empty stomach rumble again. The food he was used to contained everything a human body needed to remain in good condition...everything except flavour. With a satisfied smile the Cathar served him his breakfast, which had a little bit of everything from meat to vegetables. "Here; that should help you get your strength back. Caf?"

"Sure."

Getting himself a cup as well, Maahes sat down at the other side of the table, as Fives started to eat; just like last evening he found himself relishing the taste, this time of what was probably the heartiest breakfast of his life. Maahes seemed amused by the way he all but scarfed down his food, given the small chuckle Fives' heard, before the Cathar addressed his earlier question.

"Now, about what happened on Coruscant. It came all as a bit of a surprise to us. Zuri went to meet your Jedi that evening and less than an hour later suddenly contacted us. I must say, it was probably our most spontaneous deployment as of yet. Doc and Kina left immediately to get a body; there are morgues all over the planet, filled with unidentified bodies, especially on the lower levels. For enough credits, you can get anything there. Meanwhile, Zuri and your captain borrowed some spare armour, while Quin and I went straight to the warehouse and luckily we manage to get to there before you did. We placed the explosives and were done just minutes before you arrived. The others followed shortly after. Kina took her position up in the rafters and Quin went outside to be our sentry. Around dawn Zuri came with Skywalker, who insisted on talking to you first, perhaps hoping to convince you to come with us, maybe desperate for answers. There wasn't enough time either though."

...

_Maahes' feline ears picked up the faint sound of near silent footsteps, one hand resting on his blaster pistol. He tensed up, ready to draw it, but from around the corner Zuri appeared, a large bag slung over her shoulders._

_She merely nodded when she spotted him and Doc, who was waiting in the shadows beside the Cathar and put the bag down. In it was a complete set of standard clone armour, unpainted, though it didn't seem entirely new, given the countless scratches. Well, it wouldn't survive the night anyway._

_"We have to put this on our fake quickly," Zuri whispered hastily. "Just leave the left wrist free for now."_

_The two got to work, as Maahes heard almost unintelligible voices, followed by the distinct sound of a ray shield getting activated. It seemed like the Jedi had found his missing clone._

_Once they were done, Maahes made the last preparations, covering most of their fake with a combustible liquid. It should burn up the body beyond recognition and evaporate in the intense heat, hopefully leaving no trace to follow. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Pantoran listen to the nearby conversation, and though Maahes couldn't pay attention, he nonetheless noticed that one voice was turning frantic._

_Suddenly, Quin's voice was on the radio. "Nexu; we have a gunship approaching our position. Coruscant Guard."_

_They had gotten here quickly._

_"How much time have we got?" Zuri whispered, looking quite troubled by the news; they'd all been aware of the small timeframe, but they hadn't expected it to be this small._

_"I give us ten minutes tops."_

_Could they still do this? The Cathar saw Zuri silently curse, his own heart sinking, before she glanced_ _in the direction of the voices, the frantic one becoming louder. "Skywalker had his chance. Mirage; take the shot."_

_"Affirmative," he heard Kina whisper into the radio._

_Maahes heard the blast and the familiar sound of a someone hitting the floor. Quickly he picked up the fake, following Zuri and Doc out of the shadows; there was not a second more to waste. The Pantoran shot the ray shield emitter, freeing the Jedi and his captain, as Maahes put their body beside the unconscious clone on the floor and Doc immediately went to tend to his new patient. The medical droid already knew why he was here. Meanwhile, the young general clearly wasn't happy with their initiative._

_"Chausiku, why did you…?"_

_"No time!" Zuri quickly interrupted. "The Coruscant Guard is almost here, we need to get out now. Doc, transplant the identification chip."_

_"I'm already on it." He was indeed performing the first cut into the clone's left wrist._

_For a second it looked like the Jedi wanted to argue, but managed to restrain himself, looking worriedly at the ARC trooper. "You think you have enough time?"_

_"I'd rather not think about it," the Pantoran admitted. "Everything is already set up however. Just remember to keep your radio on and tell me when you're clear. I want to blow this place up before the Guard tries to get in."_

_"As long as I don't have to stall them."_

_"5 minutes; get out," Quin urged them, clearly getting a little edgy._

_This was getting too close for Maahes' liking. He watched as Doc closed up the incision, one of his other hands already working on the fake's wrist; the advantage of three limbs. Not having to be as careful with the dead body, the second part thankfully went much faster. "Transplant successful," Doc told them, as he put on the glove and vambrace to complete the disguise._

_"Skywalker, we need that arm."_

_The Jedi ignited his blue blade, teeth seemingly clenched. "I hope this works."_

_Zuri gave him a constrained smile. "Depends on how good an actor you are."_

_With one swift move he separated the lower arm of their fake from the rest of the body. Maahes picked it up and covered it with the heavy lit of a crate in a nearby location, where containers should protect it from the strongest blast waves. It wasn't perfect, but they only needed the chip to remain intact. If the rest of the arm got burned up it would probably work in their favour. A part of Maahes felt a little disgusted, desecrating a corpse like this, but he believed that it was for a good cause. Zuri hadn't completely filled them in yet, but after all these years he trusted her._

_Meanwhile, said Pantoran lifted up the unconscious clone with the captain's help. "Time to go. Mirage, bring Doc to the Valor. Kiros, meet us at exit point."_

_"Copy that. Gunship started its descent," Quin informed them._

_"Good luck," General Skywalker wished them._

_"You too," Zuri replied, and Maahes went to take over for the captain. They both could see the clone's apprehension, the Cathar assuming that he didn't fully trusting them, or perhaps he just worried for his brother. Zuri smiled, her voice becoming quite soft for a moment. "We'll take good care of him," she assured the captain, who nodded in response._

_"Thank you."_

_..._

"We split up into different directions as to not attract attention. As soon as we were out, Skywalker called in, telling us they were at the door and then yelled a warning to the Guard. She triggered the explosion and once everyone was preoccupied with the fire, we slipped away. We got rid of your armour, dressed you up and after flying most of the way decided to walk the rest, pretending to be some drunken friends on their way home after a night of boozing."

Fives, who had finished breakfast by that point, let the story sink in for a moment. His eyes drifted to his left wrist; until now he hadn't even noticed the fine scar. "So except General Skywalker, Rex and your crew, no one knows I'm alive."

His host nodded. "A few days ago we received a coded message from Skywalker. According to him everything worked as planned; all they found was an arm with your identifying code and a few very burned remains, or pieces I should say. I made sure to pick something that burned really hot and would make any future analysis near impossible. Along with Skywalker's report, which may or may not have included a trigger in your hands, no one should investigate further."

The ARC trooper's eyes widened. "You made them think I blew myself up?" He couldn't help but think of Hevy and Hardcase, who had died that way, but they had done it for a noble cause. He'd been a fugitive, cornered and desperate, branded a traitor. Was that what his friends thought of him now? Kix, Jesse, all the others in the 501st and other legions he'd fought alongside with as an ARC trooper? He had assaulted several of his brothers and had been hunted down by them. If they knew that he was still alive, they'd be searching for him right now. His chest felt constricted at these thoughts and like last evening, despite the company, Fives was feeling utterly lonely.

"You were described as aggressive, paranoid and dangerous," Maahes explained, almost apologetically. "That you killed yourself in a desperate attempt to escape was not implausible. Also, it was the best we could come up with at such short notice. It was a bit of a hectic night overall. I'm actually surprised things went as smoothly as they did."

What would have happened if they'd failed? Would he have been taken into custody? Knowing the Kaminoans and what he now knew about the Chancellor, they would have probably executed or euthanized him as soon as possible. Or as Chausiku had implied, would he have simply been shot upon resisting, which Fives didn't doubt he would have done. All things considered, without their successful intervention, he would likely be dead right now.

Still, that these freelancers just welcomed him with open arms. "I'm kind of surprised you let me roam freely around the house, given that description you had of me."

Maahes reclined back in his chair, arms crossed in front of his chest. "Because both your general and your captain vowed that you weren't yourself, and because Doc assured us that the drug explained your aggressive behaviour." The Cathar smiled. "So far it seems they were right."

Fives doubted that they hadn't taken precautions in case he'd proven aggressive after all, but neither Maahes nor anyone else of the crew, had shown fear or reservations towards him so far. Then again, he hadn't registered all that much after his initial conversation with Chausiku, and she had been armed the entire time. Maahes, given his build, claws and fangs, probably didn't even need a weapon. Perhaps that was the reason he was staying here with him.

Nonetheless, Fives was undeniably grateful for their hospitality, despite the part of him that advised him to remain cautious. They were still strangers paid for their services, regardless of how well off they were.

Fives' uneasiness apparently showed, as Maahes finished his caf and stood. "Come, you look like you could use some fresh air."

The ARC trooper hesitated, but didn't object, and followed the Cathar back outside. A cool gust of wind welcomed them, and when Fives' feet touched the ground he curiously moved his toes to really feel the grass beneath them this time.

Maahes noticed that. "Oh, would you like some shoes?" he asked, about to head inside, probably to go looking for some.

"It's fine," Fives quickly assured him, actually liking the feeling, as the soft ground cushioned his steps.

His host nodded, and they started to walk downhill towards the body of water Fives had spotted earlier. Soon they were between countless trees, though they didn't grow densely enough to block out all the sunlight. The birds were still singing, a few of them flying back and forth among the branches, some chasing each other as it seemed. It wasn't a sight Fives was used to, as wildlife tended to flee and stay away from battlefields. The most he'd ever seen of any local fauna had probably been on Umbara and those encounters hadn't exactly been pleasant. Even one of the plants there had tried to eat him. At least he was pretty sure that it had been a plant.

"Ever been to Alderaan before?" Maahes asked after they had made it halfway to the lake.

The clone shook his head. "No; I tend to travel from one battlefield to the other, and as far as I know this planet has remained all but untouched by the war."

"I suppose you don't get vacations?"

The question almost made him laugh, not because it was particularly funny, but because the idea was rather preposterous. Fives was pretty sure that plenty of his brothers didn't even know what that word meant. "No vacation, no pay. Actually for the first year of the war, we didn't get any sort of leave, not even for a day."

"Really?" The Cathar seemed honestly surprised by this, but it was the truth.

"We were designed to fight," Fives explained, not quite able to hide his bitterness. "For the Kaminoans we are products, hardware just like the weapons and vehicles we use, and I guess the same is true for many in the Republic. Should have seen the first times civilians saw us without helmets. Most looked shocked, almost as if they were surprised to see a human face."

Maahes frowned, his feline ears lowering noticeably. "I want to say that's quite amusing, but on second thought it's actually rather sad. Did that happen to you?"

"Once on a small rural world we helped defend against a Separatist invasion. Never asked what they were expecting." He remembered the stares and whispers, which had confused the younger clones among the 501st, Fives among them at the time. It had been one of their first experiences with civilians and not quite knowing how to react they had decided to ignore the villagers.

"Maybe they hadn't expected you all to look the same," the Cathar suggested.

"Maybe. The Jedi actually changed a lot about that initial perception, and I guess eventually someone in the GAR figured that we too need a break from time to time."

The two of them stopped, when they finally reached the stony shores of the vast lake, which Fives now realised, was at the bottom of a valley. It was almost completely surrounded by snow-capped mountains, the forests within their borders lush, with only a few openings of equally vibrant grassland. It really was beautiful here. There didn't seem to be a settlement anywhere nearby however. Given how remote this place was, it would be very unlikely that anyone could find him here, but it would also make it difficult for him to leave, should the need arise. Fives was still determined to seek out General Skywalker himself, shouldn't he contact them soon.

"What do you usually do on leave?"

"Well, we usually spent that time on Coruscant. Many just stay in the barracks, busy themselves there or get some much needed sleep." Truth was that since every day following strict schedules, many clones had initially not known what to do with themselves off duty. "Others try to see a bit of the planet or just go out for drinks. And food."

"I take it meals in the GAR are nothing to write home about?"

Fives twisted his mouth a little. "Not exactly, but us clones would never turn one down. When you grow up with that stuff and are constantly hungry from training, you don't get picky." The accelerated aging probably played a part as well, especially in their earlier years.

Maahes grinned, fangs showing again. "Well, I'm afraid I can't change anything about the GAR or how the Republic treats you, but I think we'll be able to give you a few more decent meals for as long as you're with us."

Fives chuckled, appreciating his consideration. But it did seem like he would be staying with them for a while, a few more days at least. All things considered, it wouldn't hurt learning a bit more about them. "So, Chausiku; the droid referred to her as captain." He remembered as they continued on along the lake's shoreline.

"Ah, yes. He didn't want to use names when we first got him, so used titles he found appropriate. By now we've gotten him to address us by our names from time to time, but in front of strangers he always returns to titles or at least our code names."

"Code names?"

"In case someone listens in to our radio chatter; we don't need everyone to know our civilian names. As for Zuri, Doc refers to her as captain, because she is basically our leader. I probably don't have to tell you how essential a chain of command in the field is. Zuri not only has proper military training, having served in the Pantoran armed forces for a bit, but knows how to deal with our clients. Besides, she and Kina started this crew in the first place, so one of them was the obvious choice, and Kina wasn't keen on being our 'public face' so to speak."

The ARC trooper recalled those unusual, glowing red eyes, the strange name she'd introduced herself with. "Kina is not Pantoran, is she?"

Maahes shook his head. "No, she's a Chiss. Her people are not part of the Republic or Separatists and live far from the core, isolated from most of us from what I know. They are a rare sight to be sure, though apparently some venture into our region of space from time to time," he explained. "Still, you best ask her though."

Fives figured that he probably wouldn't be able to convince Maahes to reveal more about the Chiss, and it didn't seem too important right now. "You really come from all over the galaxy, huh?" the clone noted instead.

"You could say that. We all joined up one after the other over the years."

"How did you get to Alderaan though? Not the first place I'd look for freelancers." This planet was known to be a centre of culture and education and had seen little of the war so far. The people of Alderaan were known as advocates of peace, its representatives always among the first to advocate for diplomacy from what Fives' had heard.

"Well, it is one of the safest planets in the galaxy, something we all have come to appreciate in these tumultuous times. Additionally, its location also allows us to get anywhere in decent time and we are close enough to Coruscant to get in contact with both clients and vendors. Most importantly perhaps our patron lives here."

Fives raised an eyebrow. "Patron?"

"Years ago, during one assignment we happened to save a member of one of Alderaan's noble houses. Someone, who likes to think of themself as a philanthropist. We're certain it also has a lot to do with their houses public image, but we're not complaining as long as the jobs they give us aren't anything shady. We are provided with housing and food, get maintenance for our ship and in turn we help out with relief efforts and such," Maahes expounded, his smile showing contentment as he continued. "Just the other month we brought medicine and some water treating equipment to a recently re-conquered world in the Outer Rim. Were just in time too; many had fallen ill due to having to drink and cook with that brown sludge they got from the rivers, especially children."

As a soldier Fives was, of course, no stranger to the consequences of war, even though he tended to leave any given world as soon as the fighting was done. What happened to the people after was usually in the hands of others or their own. But he'd seen a lot, even in these few years of service, and frankly he'd caused his fair share of destruction, the GAR having conquered as many planets as they had liberated.

A part of him briefly envied Maahes and the others that they could choose their battles, that they had the freedom to do what they felt was right. "Sounds like you get to save a lot of people."

"Aye; not sure if we make a difference in the great scheme of things, but personally I'm glad for everyone we can help," the Cathar said earnestly, slowing his pace.

He stopped to look across the clear water to a tiny island in the lake, where a handful of trees huddled together. Frankly Fives was glad for the break, his legs feeling weak once again, his muscles trembling ever so slightly, even though they couldn't have walked more than a klick or two. Evidently, he wasn't recovering as quickly as he would have liked.

"How about you? Had much interaction with locals?"

Five's posture stiffened at the question. "I have to admit my interactions with civilians have been limited," he said somewhat evasively. He'd rather not think of worlds like Umbara, or other, less defended ones, on which they had been forced to fight desperate civilians. Still, he had just as often encountered people grateful for their intervention, people they had been able to save. "But we do try to help out, share what we have whenever we can. You'd be amazed how grateful some people are for something as simple as a ration bar."

"Try me," Maahes replied, before taking a deep breath, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "We may not partake in any great battles, but we've seen plenty in the past six years or so, even before this war started."

"Six years?" That was about half his life; it was difficult to imagine how it had to be but a few years to anyone else.

The Cathar stroke his beard, his fingers playing with one of the wooden beads braided into it. "That's when I joined the crew anyway. The girls had been working together for almost two years at that point." He turned and looked at Fives, his expression swiftly changing to a concerned frown. "Need some rest?"

Was it that obvious? "Guess I'm not as back in shape as I hoped I would be," Fives admittedly with a faint smile. "I didn't expect to still feel so weak."

"Well, from what we could gather you've been through a lot and not just physically, but for a second day I think this was good progress," Maahes noted, placing a hand on his shoulder. It felt awkward from someone, who wasn't a brother, but Fives appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

"We're made to withstand a lot of punishment and recover quickly." Made. It was one of those words that left a bad taste in his mouth.

The Cathar shrugged. "Perhaps, but you're still human. Everyone has limits, even if yours are perhaps more exceptional. What? You look surprised."

Not sure what to say at first, Fives rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, it's just a lot of people don't really think of us clones that way."

"More like you're droids, huh?"

Fives felt his body tense up, his hands balling into fists. The chancellor's words suddenly rang in his ears again. "Something like that."

"You know where Zuri and Kina found me all those years ago?" Maahes brushed his beard aside, revealing the throat beneath. The clone gulped at the sight of a nasty looking, broad scar that went like a ring around his neck, the fur having grown back in uneven patches or not at all. "Collared in a slaver's cage. Had a lot of people check me and my fellow Cathar out like we were pets; I'll be damned before I treat anyone that way." When Fives didn't reply, really not knowing what to say, Maahes nodded in the direction they had come from and the house. "Let us head back. I'll wake you once I have dinner ready."

...

By the time they returned, Fives' temples were throbbing, though the pain wasn't as bad as the day before. Maahes was so kind as to give him some water and offered medication, though the clone ultimately declined, despite his host's assurance that they had mild analgesics that didn't affect the mind. Right now Fives just wanted to stay away from any needles or drugs unless absolutely necessary.

He returned to his room, hoping that some sleep would be enough to relieve him of his headache. Thankfully, he was right.

It was a knock at the door that woke Fives, after what felt like a very short nap, though given the fading light it was clearly evening. Having been a soldier his entire life, he was sitting up straight the moment he was roused, needing a second to remind himself that he wasn't on a ship or in some barracks.

The door opened and Maahes stepped in, a towel lying across his right shoulder. "Dinner is ready," he began, only to pause, when he saw that Fives was not in bed, instead finding the clone next to it. "You're sleeping on the floor?"

"Huh? Yeah, the bed is really soft, especially the pillow," Fives explained somewhat bashfully, wondering if this seemed ungrateful. "I guess I'm not used to it."

Maahes, however, nodded to his relief. "Ah, Kina had the same problem. We should have a few spare pillows; I can give you a couple to try out," he offered.

"Oh, thanks."

"Not sure about the mattress though, I'll have to check."

That didn't seem like it was worth the effort and his hosts had already been exceptionally accommodating. "It's fine, you don't need to..."

But the Cathar quickly interrupted him. "No guest in this house is going to sleep on the floor. Besides, the others would never let me hear the end of it," he said with a chuckle. "But that can wait until after dinner; wouldn't want it to get cold."

Not wanting to argue, though still thinking switching the mattress was unnecessary, Fives relented. "Right. I'll be there in a moment."

Maahes went on ahead, while Fives stopped at the bathroom to freshen up a little. He turned the water as cold as possible and simply threw some in his face, before rubbing his eyes and running a hand over his head. It was still strange not to feel hair, though he could feel stubble now.

How much had regrown since the surgery? Frankly, he hadn't taken a proper look at himself in a long time, not even this morning, and now he was curious.

What he saw was more unsettling than he'd expected. His hair had only started to grow back and reminded him somewhat of Rex's hairstyle, which meant that the fresh scar on the right side of his head was quite visible. Having not been able to shave in over a week his goatee had been replaced by a short beard that was starting to obscure some of his facial features.

Last but not least, his tattoo was gone as well. Everything that had distinguished him from his brothers was gone. It was like looking at one of them, but a stranger unfamiliar to him. Additionally, he couldn't help but notice how worn out he still looked, despite not really feeling tired at the moment. All of this made the sight of his own reflection strangely disconcerting. The civvies weren't helping either.

Fives grabbed a towel and slowly dried his face, throwing one last glance at the mirror before he headed downstairs.

It wasn't that the removal of his tattoo was some kind of tragic loss, but it stung nonetheless. He already felt like a pariah as it was, branded a traitor for his actions.

But how could he have left well enough alone? Turning a blind eye had not been an option.

Once as a cadet he'd thought that his individuality was something that held him back, made him seem unfit to properly serve in the Grand Army of the Republic and so he'd tried to be the best soldier he could be, even snapping at his brothers when they had gotten carried away during training, determined to prove himself.

The war had quickly changed him, though he remembered being an eager shiny, who stuck to the rules and followed orders at first. Yet after losing most of his brothers from Domino-squad in their very first engagement, battles fought with the 501st under General Skywalker and his time as an ARC trooper, he'd come to embrace his particularities, eventually realising that they were the true reason Rex had deemed Echo and him suitable to become ARCs. Only to also grow weary as the fighting continued.

Bit by bit Fives' had become disillusioned, starting to recognise just how much of his education was mere propaganda. Of course he still believed in the Republic, but it was far from the ideal it had always been depicted as. And he now knew what evil sat at it's very top, corrupting it even further from within.

No, he wasn't the same man he'd been two years ago, and looking at himself now, maybe he wasn't even the same man he'd been two weeks ago. _Maybe Fives really is gone_ , he thought bitterly, picturing all his friends and brothers who had already died, who he'd failed to protect. The Dominos, Hardcase, Tup...

No, he couldn't focus on that. There were Rex, Jesse, Kix, millions more. There was still something he could do for them, if he just kept going a little longer. One more mission.

Fives reached the living room, where Maahes had finished setting up the table, the only thing still missing being the food, though there was a mouth-watering scent coming from the kitchen. "Maahes, what happened to my tattoo?"

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. We thought it safer to remove it just in case. You have to admit, it was quite distinct."

Fives ran his fingers across the spot where the number had once been, only to move farther and feel the scar. "Hair gone, ink gone; **I** wouldn't recognize myself." Not to mention the growing beard.

"At least others won't recognize you either," Maahes pointed out, which was admittedly a good argument. "And when this is over, you can always get it back."

"Yeah…" If only it were that easy.

* * *

Zuri nipped at her drink, hoping it would ease her tenseness. It wasn't like she wasn't a people person, but these weren't her type of people. This wasn't her type of party.

But this was business after all, not pleasure.

Unlike her the other guests were in a sublime mood, most chatting and all drinking. The men and women here were some of the wealthiest in this particular region of the galaxy, and most were happily showcasing this with extravagant attire and lavish jewellery. The freelancer was among the plainer dressed minority, though she wasn't exactly modest either.

The purple dress hugged her figure like a second skin, complemented by deep neckline. Her traditional yellow facial tattoos were concealed by make-up, and instead she wore golden jewellery, bracelets, earrings and an eye-drawing necklace. A couple of years ago she never would have guessed those would ever be part of her work gear, but here she was.

Additionally, she'd changed her hair, straightened it to the point it was just a bit wavy and coloured it violet; Zuri had to admit, it made her look remarkably like her older sister.

Not for the first time the Pantoran wondered what her sibling would think about this, about the whole freelancing and mercenary work. She'd probably be horrified first and foremost.

But Zuri liked it. She was doing good, something that felt meaningful; even though it was on a small scale, it was something, and if tonight went well, a few hundred lives would be spared a lifetime of enslavement.

She still preferred their hit-and-run missions, sabotage, to being among these people, acting all nice as if she was somehow one of them, which never failed to discomfort her. But it had to be done. Not turning a blind eye was in a way what had gotten her here in the first place, what had made her leave Pantora all those years ago, despite the hardships.

Zuri finished her drink and headed for the bar, searching her way through the crowd, some swaying to the upbeat music of the band, playing at the far side of the hall. There had to be around a hundred guests, as well as servants and a dozen guards. The latter had taken position at the entrances, with some patrolling through the hall itself. They were mostly human, their wine-coloured bodysuits covered by pieces of bronze armour. The helmets were similar to those the Senate Guard wore, leaving the face free with the exception of a nose guard. Passing one of them, Zuri got a good glance at their weapons, noting nothing of interest, aside from maybe their blasters being remarkably polished, looking as if they had never been used.

Walking by a few tables the Pantoran reached her destination, and one of the very attentive barkeepers quickly took her order for one of the none-alcoholic drinks. She would need to keep a clear head.

As she waited, Zuri brushed a strand of her violet hair behind an ear and straightened her dress. "So? How's your date?" she asked a familiar looking Nautolan, who happened to be standing next to her.

Dahro turned around with his most charming smile, leaning towards her flirtatiously to keep up appearances. "Delightful actually, and he's cute." Zuri glanced over to the Twi'lek her friend had been talking to for the past twenty minutes or so. "Lekkus not your taste?" Dahro asked, seeing her rather indifferent reaction.

The Pantoran shrugged. "It's more the forehead and the pointy teeth that turn me off," she confessed. "But to each their own. Just remember to keep your eyes peeled."

"Hey, you wanted us to blend in, and this is a party after all. Staring point-blank at the guards isn't exactly subtle, you know," Dahro reminded her.

"Point taken."

The barkeep returned, bringing the drinks the Nautolan had ordered, both as brightly coloured as the neon-lit billboards across the city, and a few second later had Zuri's drink as well, before he turned his attention to another guest.

Instead of leaving immediately, Dahro glanced at Zuri one last time, before giving her a sympathetic smile. "Nervous?"

"I've always hated the acting part." It wasn't exactly her strong suit either.

"Flirt a little and you'll be fine," her friend assured her. "You've done it before."

"Right."

"Just don't get shot at this time."

Zuri rolled her eyes. "Thanks; I'll keep that in mind."

Undeterred by the dryness of her voice he simply grinned. "Here to help. Now, if you excuse me, my date is probably waiting for me." Then he nodded towards the main entrance, and Zuri followed his gaze. Another man had joined the party. His clothes were rather plain despite the maroon and emerald colours, and even from a distance it was clear that the silky material they were made of was of the highest quality. He was quite stocky, yet moved nimbly among the crowd, addressing almost everyone he passed as if they were old friends. "And I believe yours just showed up."

Yes, their host had finally joined them. The man staging this slave-auction.


End file.
